Entries in the 'Events' Category

You’ve probably been wondering where I scampered off to this time… well, I’ve been hard at work on the new website for Hukilau 2007! With the launch of the website comes the announcement of this year’s lineup, and yet again, the selection of things to do and see and hear is outstanding. Of course, the main night is once again at tiki mecca, the Mai-Kai. Here’s just a sampling:

Robert Drasnin, returning to Hukilau to perform his new album Voodoo II live (his 2005 performance was awe-inspiring)

There’s a ton more (including a Tiki Treasures Bazaar, a Tiki Fashion Show, the return of the Wreck Bar Mermaid, and tons more music), but the best way to see it all is to go hit the website. Scratch that — the best way to see it all is to go to Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale, June 14-17. Tickets are on sale now!

Hollywood’s Lava Lounge is nestled in a tiny, nondescript strip mall (“nondescript” and “strip mall” are pretty redundant, I suppose) on La Brea, just off of Sunset. I’ve only been there a handful of times — parking in the area is a pain in the keister, and it’s not the tikiest of tiki bars — but I did think it was pretty cool. For one, it’s dark, and I love a dark bar. For another, they weren’t kidding around with the often too-casually-applied “Lava Lounge” name: the room was a mix of pitch black faux and real rockwork, contrasted against blonde bamboo, and it came together really nicely. There was a rocky wall at the back that wept water, and a very small stage area bathed in red light. The drinks were not very good, but at least they tried.

Now comes word that the Lava Lounge’s days are nearing an end. After 13 years, the small bar is closing at the end of February, and undergoing a remodel and name change — no word yet on what the new incarnation will be. 13 years for a bar is impressive, but it’s even more impressive when you consider the competitive environment of bars in Hollywood, and that when it opened in the mid-’90s, tiki was not a hot thing, but the realm of a small cache of hipsters. The bar is one of the very, very few that opened during the exact years that really cool, original places were shutting down all across the country.

If you can, stop in one last time to spend some time in this swell little bar. Lava Lounge mainstays the Blue Hawaiians will be playing a final show there the night of Friday, February 23. Hat tip to bigtikidude for the heads-up.

Robert Volz has been working on his new tiki bar, Thatch, for a loooong time now, and it looks like the work is finally wrapping up. Robert reports that while Thatch will not be open in time for New Year’s Eve as he’d once hoped, he is now aiming to have a preview party for VIPs and Tiki Centralites on January 5. Those who are interested in attending can send Robert (a.k.a. Robertiki) a personal message on Tiki Central to score an invite. No word yet on the grand opening date for the general public. Robert is pictured above, along with a large black velvet painting for Thatch by Portland artists the Pander Bros.

About a thousand tikiphiles gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Mai-Kai this past October, as part of the annual Hukilau event. However, the real, actual date of the 50th Anniversary is coming up on December 28th, and a special, more intimate celebration is planned. Tiki Kiliki is organizing a group reservation for Tiki Centralites for the prime seats of the house — right in front of the stage. Every evening at the Mai-Kai is a really special experience, and about the only way it can be improved upon is by sharing the experience with other people who share your love of tiki and of the Mai-Kai. If you’re interested in joining the group, chime in on this thread on Tiki Central.

Those of us who are inconveniently located across the country may have to miss out on the dinner, but Tiki Kiliki has something special for us, too: every day between now and December 28, she’s sharing an image from the Mai-Kai archives, or from the archives of the family of Mariano Licudine (the Mai-Kai’s original genius mixologist). The image here comes from the Mai-Kai archives, and is an advertisement for the Mai-Kai’s opening day, on December 28, 1956.

After the huge success of last month’s shindig at the Tonga Hut, they’ll be throwing another soiree, on Saturday, December 16, from 7 p.m. to midnight. It’s a mug release party and a one-night-only art show. Two mugs will be debuted there: Tiki Farm’s new Marqo Pollo mug by Señor Calamar (a.k.a. Squid), and Tiki Diablo’s new Dia de los Marquesos mug. There will be art on display by Bosko, Atomikitty, Crazy Al, Derek Yaniger and more. I suspect there will be a return of Grog’s stupefying art rocks, as he’s organizing the event — be sure to get yours. There will be some drink specials, and better yet — they’re making sure to have an extra bartender on hand, dedicated to making tropical drinks all night long (apparently, there was a tragic tropical drink shortage at last month’s event). Tonga Hut is at 12808 Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood. It’s already looking like there’s going to be a great turnout of fun tiki-lovin’ people.

A Vintage ‘n’ Retro Xmas Market is happening at London’s South London Pacific on Sunday, December 10, from midday to 6pm. Admission is £1.50. The event is being organized by Miss Aloha, who also hosts South London Pacific’s Hula Boogie vintage music & dancing night, which happens every Tuesday. South London Pacific is located at 340 Kennington Road.

The fourth annual New Tiny Tiki Lounge Group Show is happening at Lucky Red Gallery in Vancouver, B.C.’s Chinatown on December 9. Lucky Red is a tiny little speck of a gallery, and was formerly a one-car garage. Today it has been transformed into a tikified getaway, with bamboo and thatch — and of course art, with one-night-only shows. Artists for the show have not been announced (a call for artists went out just a couple days ago), but it’s likely that Vancouver-based tiki art superstar Heather Watts will be represented (above is her 2004 piece, The Gracious Host). For more details, visit 12midnite.com, the website of Lucky Red owner & curator, 12 Midnite. While you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to check out Funhouser Decor — they’re a great local source for your home tiki bar needs (it’s where the Tiki Bar TV gang shops).

On Saturday, November 11, there will be a party for the release of Tiki Magazine’s latest issue, and an art show with seven artists. Tiki tOny, the featured artist in Tiki Magazine’s latest issue, will be there with a new mug for sale; other artists include Squid, Ken Ruzic, Kirby, Suzanne Mosher and Johnny the Pinstriper. DJ Lee Joseph will be playing tunes, and there will be drink specials.

The party starts at 7pm and goes ’til midnight. Tonga Hut is at 12808 Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood. Regular readers have heard the great news about Tonga Hut’s recent revival (the bar opened in 1958 and until just last year seemed doomed to be a dive); this is a great opportunity to check it out.

London’s new tiki bar, Mahiki, opened just a couple of days ago. Some speak preview pictures have been posted to Tiki Central, and the place looks dark and elegant — just how I like my tiki bars! I’m eager to hear some reports now that it’s open to the public. Mahiki’s location at 1 Dover Street in Mayfair is just a few blocks from where the Mayfair Beachcomber once was. Legend has it that Joseph Banks, a botanist who gained his fame as part of Captain Cook’s 1768 expedition to Tahiti, stayed at 1 Dover Street and regaled visitors with tales of his South Seas adventures while mixing drinks with rum and botanicals he had collected.

Last night’s Halloween party at Forbidden Island was a hoot — the place was packed with lots of fun people in some really great costumes. My personal favorite was Thayer’s — she was a scarily accurate Crazy Cat Lady, with a dozen or so cats in her arms and trailing behind her, and a delightfully disturbed and disheveled appearance. I think that if she’d been eligible for the costume contest, she would have won, it was awesome. There was also a mermaid, a Napolean Dynomite zombie, a space cadet, a devil, a ghostly undead groom and bride, a pregnant nun and a very naughty looking priest, a spider couple, Wednesday Addams, bride of Frankenstein, an adorkable sf movie nerd, a tiki or two, and a couple of Scottish clown doctors. The Jab DJed a great set — he was dressed as an early-’80s hip-hop DJ (he had some fly Adidas on), and the end of the evening segued from great old monster tunes to a full early-’80s hip-hop set.

For one glorious evening, I got to be bacon. The candy of the meats. I’m not entirely clear what inspired me to be bacon — the idea popped into my head on the way home from Forbidden Island last Wednesday, and by Saturday afternoon I’d finished turning two big sheets of foam, some glue & spray paint into a whole new taste sensation of a costume. You want an instant self-esteem booster — just go out dressed as everyone’s favorite breakfast meat. Everyone loves bacon, and they all want to show it. No one was able to resist at least saying “bacon!” excitedly under their breath as they passed by me, but most folks wanted a bit more, some even trying to lick or bite me. Thankfully, I thought ahead and brought a bag of bacon to hand out to the masses — I couldn’t send people into a savory frenzy and then not deliver the goods.

I’ve got my pictures here (Hanford took all of these photos; I couldn’t really handle the camera in my getup), and there are sure to be many other photos soon in the thread on Tiki Central.